Abstract

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are defined as diseases transmitted through sexual intercourse, and which remain a public health problem of major significance in most parts of the world. Syphilis (including primary, secondary, congenital), Gonorrhea, Chlamydial infection, non-gonococcal urethritis, genital herpes, Condyloma acuminata are included the national notifiable infectious diseases category 3, and data are collected via sentinel surveillance system by law in Korea. Including 251 public health centers, 556 medical institutes (as of March 2008) participate in this surveillance system. Total cases of STDs have been decreased since 2003, but notified cases for Syphillis, genital herpes and Condyloma acuminata have been increased during the same period. The results from prevalence surveys of STDs, Chlamydia in women was 2.9∼4.7%, 2.2∼5.6% in men. In case of Gonorrhea, prevalence in college students and pregnant women was 0.2∼0.4%, and prevalence of sex workers and runaway teenagers was 8.8% and 3.5∼7.6%, respectively.

• Keywords: Sexually transmitted diseases, Surveillance